Two-pack toilet tissue dispenser



Jan. 16, 1962 A. BABIN TWO-PACK TOILET TISSUE DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1959 INVENTOR.

ALEXANDER BAB/N A T TORNE Y5 Jan. 16, 1962 A. BABIN TWO-PACK TOILET TISSUE DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1959 INVENTOR. ALEXANDER BAH/N f 7% ATTORNEYS 3,017,055 TWQ-lACK TOILET THSSUE DISPENSER Alexander Rabin, Walnut Creek, Califi, assignor to Crown Zcllerbach Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Filed June 15, 1959, Ser. No. 32%,195 ill Claims. (Cl. 2221-34) This invention relates to toilet tissue dispensers of the kind which are charged with rectangular tissues interfolded in a package or pack in such a manner that each tissue withdrawn through a slot in the bottom of the dispenser draws with it the leading edge of the next tissue to a position where it may be grasped for withdrawal.

The invention is directed more particularly to a dispenser capable of containing two such packs, one being in reserve and for use only after the first is depleted. The purpose of two-pack dispensers is to insure that a supply of tissue is always available at the dispenser with relatively infrequent inspection by an attendant whose duty it is to replenish the supply.

it is an object of the invention to provide a two-pack toilet tissue dispenser wherein one pack of tissues is held in a cartridge or separate container within the body of the dispenser in a position unavailable for use until another pack within the dispenser is depleted and only then to enable the cartridge to be moved into position for use.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means to prevent return of the cartridge without opening the container and to provide gravity actuated means to sense the depletion of the first stack and means to hold said gravity actuated means in an inoperative position while the dispenser is being loaded with tissue and to release it upon closing of the dispenser.

Further objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet tissue dispenser embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same dispenser with the body portion thereof swung to an open position to reveal the interior mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-llI of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1. p

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the dispenser is shown as comprising a substantially rectangular box-like container hinged to a relatively fiat back plate 11 adapted to. be screwed against a wall or other vertical surface as indicated at 12 in FIGS. 3 and 4. Ears 13 are bent forwardly from the back plate 11 for the provision of hinge pins 14 through means of which the container 16 is pivotally con nected to it.

The container is sufiiciently wide to carry two packs of interfolded toilet tissue side by side, one contained in a cartridge of rectangular box-like form shown at 15 in FIGS. 2 and 4 and the other within the container itself as shown in FIG. 3. In this figure, a pack of toilet tissue is shown as resting on the bottom 16 of the container with the leading edge of the bottom tissue projecting as at 17 through a slot defined by two rounded edges 18 which extend throughout the full length of the bottom.

In FIG. 4, a pack of tissues is shown in the cartridge 15 with the leading edge of the bottom tissue extending as at 20 through a slot 21 formed between curved edges 22 of the bottom of the cartridge. These curved edges embrace the rounded edges 13 of the bottom of the dispenser and act as guides for sliding of the cartridge from atent O tilt one side of the dispenser to the other. At the top of the cartridge a flat handle 24 preferably punched and bent upwardly from the top of the cartridge itself projects through a slot 25 in the top of the container.

When the cartridge is in the position illustrated in FIG. 4, the projecting end 20 of the tissue cannot be reached because a guard plate 27, preferably formed by bending a portion of the front of the container inwardly and upwardly encloses it. The cartridge is also positively latched against sliding movement toward the other end of the dispenser, until the tissue in the other end is depleted, by an angular shaped plate 23 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) which is supported for vertical sliding movement on tracks 29 by the enlarged heads of pins 3% carried by the plate 23. As the tissue is depleted, the plate 28 moves downwardly by gravity until it occupies the space indicated at 32 in FIG. 3 where, by reference to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the plate is disposed below the bottom of the cartridge 15- so that the cartridge can be grasped by its handle 24 and moved to the opposite end of the dispenser where the projecting end of the tissue 2% is available for use.

It is undesirable that the cartridge be returned to its original position because this would interfere with proper withdrawal of the tissues from it. To prevent this return movement a latch 34 pivoted to the back plate as by a hinge connection 35 is normally urged outwardly by a spring 35. With the container closed and the cartridge in its reserve position, its top edge engages the latch 34 and compresses the spring as. When the cartridge is moved into position for use, the spring swings the latch 34 outwardly to obstruct return movement of the cartridge.

If, when an attendant servicing the dispenser notices by the position of the handle 24 that the cartridge has been moved and the reserve supply is in use, he should open and refill one or both sides of the container, returning the cartridge to its reserve position. in refilling the container, the plate 23 is raised to its uppermost position against a stop lug 4t and it is held in this position by a leaf spring latch 38 over which it rides in moving upwardly. Upon closing of the container, 21 tab 41 bent inwardly from one edge engages and depresses the latch 38 releasing the plate 28 to fall on top of the tissue as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The dispenser may be retained in its closed position by a conventional key lock indicated at 42 having a pivoted latch member 43 engageable with a keeper 4% which may be conveniently made by bending a portion of the metal from the upper edge of the back member 11 as shown in FIG. 2.

Since the cartridge must always occupy the same position in the container with the exception of sliding movement from end to end thereof, its handle 24 projecting through the top and its curved dispensing edges projecting beyond the rounded edges 13 at the bottom serve a useful purpose. Due to this construction, an attendant cannot accidentally remove and replace the cartridge in any but its intended position. During manufacture of the dispenser the cartridge is placed into the container before complete assembly of the parts which form the bottom ofthe container.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue or the like which comprises a container for two adjacent stacks of such sheets, said container having an opening for withdrawal of sheets from the first of said stacks, a cartridge in the container for the second stack with an opening registering with the first named opening, means to move the cartridge into the position of the first stack when it is depleted, and means to prevent withdrawal of sheets from the cartridge until it is so moved.

2. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue or the like which comprises a container for two adjacent stacks of such sheets, said container having an opening for withdrawal of sheets from the first of said stacks, a cartridge in the container for the second stack with an opening registering with the first named opening, means to move the cartridge into the position of the first stack when it is depleted, means to prevent withdrawal of sheets from the cartridge until it is so moved, and means to prevent movement of the cartridge toward the first stack position until the first stack is depleted.

3. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue or the like which comprises a container for two adjacent stacks of such sheets, said container having an opening for withdrawal of sheets from the first of said stacks, a cartridge in the container for the second stack with an opening registering with the first named opening, means to move the cartridge into the position of the first stack when it is depleted, means to prevent withdrawal of sheets from the cartridge until it is so moved, means to prevent movement of the cartridge toward the first stack position until the first stack is depleted, and means to prevent return movement of the cartridge.

4. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue or the like which comprises a container for two adjacent stacks of such sheets, said container having an opening for Withdrawal of sheets from the first of said stacks, a cartridge in the container for the second stack with an opening registering with the first named opening, means to move the cartridge into the position of the first stack 'when it is depleted, means to prevent withdrawal of sheets from the cartridge until it is so moved, means to prevent movement of the cartridge toward the first stack position until the first stack is depleted, and means to prevent return movement of the cartridge, said return movement preventing means being inelfective to prevent such return movement of the cartridge when the container is opened.

5. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue comprising a container for two stacks of such tissue in side by side relationship, a cartridge in said container for holding one of said stacks, means operable from the exterior of the container to move the cartridge to the position of the other stack when it is depleted, a member terior of the containerto move the cartridge to the position of the other stacks when it is depleted, a member adapted to rest on said other stack and positioned to obstruct such movement of the cartridge, means mounting said member on said container for free movement downwardly during depletion of the stack and to an unobstructing position upon full depletion of said stack,

guide means guiding said member in its vertical movement, and a latch for retaining said member adjacent the top of the guide means while the container is being filled.

7. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue comprising a container for two stacks of such tissue in side by side relationship, a cartridge in said container for holding one of said stacks, means operable from the eX- terior of the container to move the cartridge to the position of the other stack when it is depleted, a member adapted to rest on said other stack and positioned to obstruct such movement of the cartridge, means mounting said member on said container for free movement downwardly during depletion of the stack and to an unobstructed position upon full depletion of said stack, guide means guiding said member in its vertical movement, a latch for retaining said member adjacent the top of the guide means while the container is being filled, said container being hinged for swinging movement to an open position, and means on said container engageable with the latch upon closing of the container for releasing said latch.

8. In a dispenser of the character described a substantially rectangular container for two stacks of interfolded toilet tissue, said container having a continuous slot throughout the length of its bottom through which the leading edge of a tissue on the bottom of each stack may extend, a cartridge within the container for one of said stacks with a bottom slot registering with the slot in the container, the top of said container being slotted, and a handle on said cartridge extending through the top slot to enable sliding of the cartridge from one end of the container to the other.

9. in a dispenser of the character described a substantially rectangular container for two stacks of interfolded toilet tissue, said container having a continuous slot throughout the length of its bottom through which the leading edge or" a tissue on the bottom of each stack may extend, a cartridge within the container for one of said stacks with a bottom slot registering with the slot in the container, the top of said container being slotted, and a handle on said cartridge extending through the top slot to enable sliding of the cartridge from one end of the container to the other, said cartridge having curved edges on its bottom slot extending through and embracing the edges of the bottom slot in the container to retain the cartridge against removal from the container.

10. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue or the like comprising a container for accommodating adjacent stacks of such sheets in side by side relationship, the bottom of said container having an opening through which sheets of a first stack can be withdrawn at a dispensing location, a cartridge for holding a second stack of said sheets slidably mounted in said container for back and forth movement between a position over said dispensing location and a position over a second location,

said cartridge having a dispensing opening in its bottom,

and said second stack providing a reserve supply when the cartridge is over said second location and a dispensing supply when said cartridge is moved over said dispensing location after said first stack is substantially depleted, a member in said container adapted to engage said first stack as sheets are withdrawn and to engage said cartridge to prevent movement of the cartridge from said second location to said dispensing location until said first stack is substantially depleted, means mounting said member on said container for free movement downwardly during depletion of said first stack and to an unobstructing position upon substantially full depletion of the stack, and means carried by said container blocking said cartridge dispenser opening at said second location to prevent withdrawal of sheets from said cartridge at said second location.

11. A dispenser for interfolded sheets of toilet tissue or the like comprising a container for accommodating adjacent stacks of such sheets in side by side relationship, the bottom of said container having an opening through which sheets of a first stack can be withdrawn at a dispensing location, a cartridge for holding a second stack of said sheets slidably mounted in said container for back and forth movement between a position over said dispensing location and a position over a second location, said cartridge having a dispensing opening in its bottom, and said second stack providing a reserve supply when the cartridge is over said second location and a dispensing supply when said cartridge is moved over said dispensing location after said first stack is substantially depleted, a member in said container adapted to engage said first stack as sheets are withdrawn and to engage said cartridge to prevent movement of the cartridge from said second location to said dispensing location until said first stack is substantially depleted, means mounting said memher on said container for free movement downwardly during depletion of said first stack and to an unobstructing position upon substantially full depletion of thestack, guard means carried by said container blocking said cartridge dispenser opening at said second location to prevent withdrawal of sheets from said cartridge at said second location, and means carried by said container automatically operable upon movement of the cartridge from said second to said dispensing location to engage the cartridge and prevent return movement thereof from said dispensing location to said second location, said return movement preventing means being inefiective to prevent such return movement of the cartridge when the container is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,413,656 Dunn Apr. 25, 1922 1,553,510 Craft Sept. 15, 1925 1,579,429 Arms Apr. 6, 1926 2,370,848 Doggett Mar. 6, 1945 

